Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 March 2012
95 Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will take steps to have an application for a third level grant reviewed in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12043/12]
View answerFor student grants purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students. An independent mature student is defined as a mature student who was not ordinarily resident with his or her parents or legal guardian from the October preceding entry or re-entry to further or higher education.
In order to establish a candidate's status as an independent mature student, documentary evidence is required as proof of a candidate's address from 1st October of the year preceding entry into college. In considering whether a mature student meets the conditions to be assessed independently of his or her parents, awarding authorities are obliged to satisfy themselves beyond doubt that an acceptable degree of proof of independent living in the relevant period has been submitted by the grant applicant.
The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for the relevant grant awarding authority. An applicant may appeal the decision of the grant awarding authority to its appeals officer. Where the appeals officer decides to reject the appeal, the applicant may appeal this decision to my Department or the independent appeals board, as appropriate.
I understand that the outcome of the application was communicated to student referred to by the Deputy on 19 September 2011 and that the student was informed of the appeals process. No appeal has been received by the awarding authority to date.
